District-Level Inclusive Special Education Leadership: Moments of Advocacy Grounded in Social Justice and Educational Equity

• In Event: Best Practices for Social Justice Leadership

Abstract

This paper synthesizes data demonstrating moments of advocacy evident in the ways that district-level special education leaders improve educational quality as they work toward the critical social justice issue of how to serve students with disabilities through inclusive educational practices. Themes that demonstrate advocacy strategies grounded in social justice issues linked to: 1) personal leadership disposition; 2) advocacy; 3) capacity-building of the administrative team and the Board of Education; and 4) formal actions employed. These advocacy strategies were tactics to intentionally cultivate inclusive educational services for students with disabilities. Teased out from this discussion of the data, we conclude with an overarching analysis of district-level special education administrators’ critical questioning of the structure of special education.

Authors

• Chelsea Tracy-Bronson, Stockton University

• George Theoharis, Syracuse University

• Julie N. Causton-Theoharis, Syracuse University